Baptisms (sometimes called ‘christenings’) are very special occasions when we welcome new members of the church family. It is for parents who want to bring up their children within the Christian faith and and also for adults who come to faith. Because it is about joining the Christian family we ask families to come along to our All-age Cafe Church service at Andoversford Community Church before the baptism. We understand that parents usually will want baptisms to be in their local church and we will do our best with this. But being a large group of churches timetables are quite difficult. We do baptisms at 4pm on the first and fifth Sundays of each month. These dates can quickly get booked up so please give as much notice as possible.
It is important that parents think about baptism carefully and so we have a folder that is given to parents to look through at their convenience and a DVD to watch and discuss together.
At the service parents, godparents and any adults being baptised make the following responses:
Do you turn to Christ?
I turn to Christ.
Do you repent of your sins?
I repent of my sins.
Do you renounce evil?
I renounce evil.
All godparents must have been baptised themselves and ideally should have been confirmed as well. However if someone has not been baptised but would be happy to be baptised at the same service as the child for who they are taking responsibility then they can be a godparent.
Please contact the Rector, Colin Randall, about baptisms, and it is essential to do so before setting a date for the baptism.
Weddings
If you have always dreamt of a church wedding, or are thinking about it for the first time, we will be delighted to help and support you.
Visit www.yourchurchwedding.org where you will find very helpful information and lots of answered questions about church weddings.
There are certain legal requirements that must be fulfilled for you to be married in a particular church. If either or both of you live within the parish boundaries there is no problem at all. To check out the parish where you live visit www.achurchnearyou.com. You can also be eligible to married in a certain church if you have a qualifying connection with that church . Visit www.yourchurchwedding.org for details.
If one or both of you is divorced the vicar will wish to meet to chat with you before a decision can be made as to whether a church wedding will be possible.
To discuss any aspect of planning your wedding please contact us at The Church Office.
The Banns of Marriage Application form is available to download here.
The Electoral Roll form can be downloaded here.
The cost of a wedding in one of our churches is around £480, for the fees and use of the church, though there would be extra costs for any flowers, organist or bells.
As part of the preparation for your wedding you will be invited to attend an informal half-day marriage preparation course.
Funerals
We are here to help any family who live in our parish, or those who have close links with the parish, at a time of bereavement. Funerals are arranged via the funeral directors, who will in turn contact the vicar. A member of the clergy will visit the bereaved family as soon as possible and help with all aspects of the planning of the funeral service. A funeral can either be held in the church or in the Crematorium, depending on your wishes.
If, some time after a funeral, you are wanting to find out more about gravestones or grave markers, then you will need to contact a stonemason first. However. before any memorial can be made and put in place, there is a legal requirement for the size and wording and material used to be formally agreed by the church concerned. The stonemason you choose should advise you about how to go about this. Please note that most of our churchyards have Cotswold stone walls, and most of the gravestones are of Cotswold or similar type of stone. We would ask that you normally choose a stone type that will fit in well with the overall look of the churchyard or burial ground.